


Pride

by Faithful_14



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Decisions, DRAMAtical Lesbians, Dancing, Early college age, F/F, Fuck girl Nicole, Fuck girl Nicole being soft for Waverly, Nicole is basically Shane, Post Champ, Strap-Ons, Supportive Wynonna, Surprise Cameo, Wayhaught - Freeform, Wynonna is "helpful", club scene, earp sister feels, no supernatural
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2020-10-17 11:07:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20620016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faithful_14/pseuds/Faithful_14
Summary: Wynonna Earp takes her recently out sister, Waverly Earp, to the queer nightclub in the big city. She bumps into fuck girl Nicole Haught and sparks fly.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on Twitter once said (a while back) they wanted to see fuck girl Nicole be soft for Waverly. That stuck with me for some reason. So here it is! Nicole isn't completely NOT herself in this but throw back to when you're in your early 20s and you do stupid shit. Drama, amirite?
> 
> Thank you to @coffeecup218 for beta duty and @RyanTZeppo for beta and some beautiful additions- you made this story better!

"Seriously, Wynonna?" Waverly groaned as her sister tugged her into the only gay club in the big city.

"Yes, seriously. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Trust me," the eldest Earp implored.

Waverly rolled her eyes, towed behind the wild brunette as they made her way through the throngs of people to the bar. "There's nothing to get over. Rosita and I weren't even a thing."

"Then tell me why you've been moping around the homestead the past couple days." Wynonna let go of her hand, turning her full big-sisterly attention onto Waverly with her arms crossed over her chest, eyebrows arched in challenge.

After a pregnant pause, Waverly's flimsy facade crumbled. "Fine! Alright! I hoping my first girl crush after coming out wouldn't have failed so miserably..."

To her credit, Wynonna didn't immediately respond with an 'I-told-ya', but instead merely grinned before pulling her into a hug. "Baby girl...Rosita doesn't know what she's missing, alright?" Stepping back, her blue eyes stared into the hazel ones in front of her, hands on her shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah..." Waverly smiled halfheartedly. "But, I am NOT getting drunk tonight and sleeping with some stranger just because you think I should!"

It was Wynonna's turn to roll her eyes as she mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like, "We'll see about that," under her breath. Waverly arched a brow, but let the comment pass for now. Turning her attention back to the bar, she weaseled her way between patrons to pound a hand on the bar top. "Oi, what's it take to serve two sexy ladies in this place!"

Waverly shielded her face with a hand, pretending she didn't know the crazy woman yelling over the music. It worked though, and they were served by a stout butch bartender after some heavy flirting on her sister's part.

Winking at the woman, Wynonna collected the glasses of whiskey she wasn't required to pay for and handed one to Waverly. She couldn't help but shake her head with a slight smile, "You're terrible, you know that?"

"Yeah, terribly awesome! Now drink up! And let's find a hottie to take you home so you can forget about what's-her-face."

Wynonna spent the next hour encouraging another two glasses of whiskey into Waverly as they sat at a high top table for two, a good view of the club at hand. "Baby girl, you're killin' me here. You've said no to every woman I've pointed out now. There's gotta be _somebody_ in here for you."

"_I'm_ killing _you_?" Waverly laughed. On her third drink, she was starting to feel comfortably warm. Her sister, a few drinks ahead, also looked just a bit flushed. "I told you, I'm not interested in a random hook up."

"Ugh, fine! Spoil my fun. Will you at least dance with a cute girl?" she dealt down.

The petite brunette shook her head; Wynonna really wasn't going to let this go. She could either spend the rest of the night being badgered, or she could give in to that simpler request and maybe enjoy herself. Pursing her lips together momentarily, she finally gave in with a sigh. "Fine."

"Yessss!" Wynonna cheered with a pump of her fist. "Let's go!" The blue eyed brunette grabbed her glass and pulled her sister up, pushing her toward the dance floor.

Waverly had to politely excuse herself for bumping into several other people. Halfway to the dance floor, her feet found themselves planted to the spot as though she were wearing cement shoes. Wynonna's momentum brought her to smack right into her sister's back. "What the hell?" Waverly heard her sister complain behind her, but she couldn't help but stand mutely transfixed at what she saw.

In the far corner of the bar, there was a pool table where a tall, redhead woman leaned over it, lining up a shot. All she could tell at this distance was that this woman was wearing a black, sleeveless muscle shirt that showed off some ink on one shoulder. But it was as she was leaned over the billiards that her shirt had ridden up, exposing a tantalizing strip of smooth, toned backside just above the redhead's jean-clad ass.

As Waverly let her gaze rake along the elegant curve of the redhead's posterior, she suddenly squawked as her sister delivered a swift smack onto her own ass. "Ah! So THAT'S your type, eh?"

Snapped from her reverie, Waverly scowled at her sister, turning to whisper yell over the music. "I don't have a type."

Wynonna raised a brow, "Um that looks like a very specific type to me," she snickered. Waverly shook her head, but found her gaze being pulled back to the mystery woman. Her red hair was cut just below the level of her ears and stuck out from underneath a backwards baseball cap. She wore a shit eating grin as she easily sank the eight ball into a corner pocket.

Wynonna watched her turn to a woman next to her, similarly attired, and gave a high-five before swigging from a beer bottle. Flicking her gaze to the women surrounding the table, it was obvious quite a few pairs of eyes were settled on the fiery redhead. "Looks like a fuck boi to me. Or is it fuck girl?" Wynonna observed from behind her.

Turning her body, Waverly smacked her sister in the gut with the back of her hand. "You are awful! Come on, we're supposed to be dancing, remember?" She attempted to pull her forward but Wynonna stood still.

"Oh, no ya don't. This is what I've been waiting for!" Without another word, her sister began dragging her off toward the pool table. Waverly's eyes went wide as she realized just what her sister was playing at. Only she wasn't a match for Wynonna's strength and determination.

They stopped just short of where the redhead had her back turned, talking to her friend. "Good luck, baby girl. Get it!" Wynonna whispered in her ear and without further preamble, shoved her sister none too lightly into the attractive stranger.

In what felt like slow motion, Waverly collided into the redhead's back. This in turn sent the woman tripping forward into her friend, who subsequently sloshed the majority of the pint in her hand all over the tall woman's front.

Waverly felt her ears burn hot as the redhead turned around to see just who crashed into her. Beautiful brown eyes settled on her and suddenly her mouth was dry as she eked out, "Oh my god. I am SO sorry! Are you okay?"

The stranger regarded her for a second, eyes darting across her face, and a grin spread on her lips, dimples popping. Waverly gulped. _Of course she has dimples_.

"No worse for wear. Just a little wetter than I'd intended to be this early," she crooned, glancing down only briefly to the giant wet spot on her shirt.

Wynonna inserted herself into the conversation then, "Oh man, I'm sorry. That was totally my fault. Such a klutz! Here, let me buy you another beer!" She grabbed the forearm of the redhead's friend and started tugging her toward the bar, but not before leveling a wink at her baby sis.

_I am going to kill her_ Waverly thought to herself. Returning her attention to the redhead, she threw her thumb in the direction of the bathroom, "Again, I am so sorry. Let me help you get cleaned up?"

Rather than say anything further, the much taller woman drained what was left in her beer bottle and motioned for Waverly to head toward the bathroom with a smirk on her lips. Waverly complied, weaving through the passing people and scattered tables, all the while her backside tingled with the prickly sensation of being watched.

The club's bathroom was tiny, just two stalls but was thankfully empty when they pushed through the door. Waverly immediately went to the paper towel dispenser and grabbed a couple sheets before awkwardly trying to hand them to the other woman.

Looking down at the paper towels, the redhead shook her head and then she was pulling her shirt over her head. Waverly nearly squeaked in surprise but rather than turn around and avert her eyes, she couldn't help taking in the woman's strong shoulders, the quarter length nature scene tattooed on one arm, and her flat stomach. Clad now in only a black sports bra, dark wash jeans and a pair of Chucks, she turned on a faucet and started to run the beer soaked fabric under some water.

Sparkling brown eyes glanced over to where Waverly stood, mouth agape, just staring. "Do I get your name or should I be charging admission to this impromptu wet t-shirt contest?"

Snapping out of it, the brunette looked away quickly as her cheeks flushed. "Oh fudgenuggets," she murmured under her breath, trying to hide it behind her hand.

"What was that?" the redhead shut the faucet off and rang out her shirt in the sink with a grin.

"Wha? Oh, nothing! Sorry. Jeez. Uh, I'm Waverly."

"Well, pleasure meeting you Waverly. Or I guess I should say being run over by you. I'm Nicole. Nicole Haught," she extended a hand forward.

"The pleasure's all mine," she blurted out as they shook hands. _Ugh, of course you are!_

Nicole chuckled low in her throat, eyes flitting from their clasped hands up to her eyes again before licking her lips. "Can I buy you a drink, Waverly?"

Taken aback momentarily, the brunette shook her head with a slow smile. "It's me who should be buying you that drink." Realizing they were still holding hands, she dropped their grip and immediately felt a strange pang of loss at the contact.

Shaking out her shirt, Nicole tossed it back over her head and readjusted her cap. "Ladies first," she gestured to the door with a megawatt smile.

Okay, maybe she wouldn't kill her sister **dead**. Waverly pushed through the swinging door and headed to the bar with the ridiculously sexy Nicole trailing behind her. Thankfully the line was short as most everyone else was on the crowded dance floor. A glance back toward the pool table found Wynonna engaged in a game with the redhead's friend.

Nicole leaned herself against the bar top and called out, "Hey, Corey!" The butch bartender turned and came toward them, slinging a rag over her shoulder.

"'Sup, Nic. What can I getcha?"

Nicole merely smiled and looked to Waverly, gesturing for her to go ahead. She cleared her throat and leaned forward to be heard over the music, "A shot of tequila please." _A drink and a little dancing couldn't hurt, right? _

A quick glance at her new companion revealed that Nicole's own gaze was quickly rising up to her eyes... up from her chest? It was hard to tell in the low light of the club, but Nicole's cheeks did seem just a little more flush than they were moments ago. Her brow quirked when she registered the tequila though and an impressed look flitted across her face. "Make that two, and another IPA for me," she looked back to her buddy.

The bartender named Corey went to grab the requested drinks as the short brunette turned her attention back to Nicole, who was looking at her through thick eyelashes. "So, you come here often?" _What is wrong with you? What kind of line was that??_ Waverly berated herself mentally.

The redhead merely laughed and shook her head, "Often enough. What about you?"

_Get it together, Earp_. "This is my first time here. I don't make it out to the city much. I live and work in Purgatory."

Nicole merely nodded, "I thought as much. I'd remember a face like yours if I'd seen you before." This time her smile seemed much more genuine, but her attention turned to their drinks being set down in front of them. "Just put it on my tab," she nodded her thanks at Corey.

_Tab, huh?_ Maybe her sister was right. But as she looked up into those brown eyes, she couldn't help it. There was something about this woman. And there was that damn dimple again as Nicole held out their shots of tequila. Taking the proffered shot, she smiled and thought _screw it_. Clinking their glasses together in a toast, she took the lime wedge off the lip and licked the salt from the rim before throwing it back.

Nicole did the same, their eyes never leaving each other's as they winced before biting into the limes.

***

A beer and another shot later, they'd chatted between flirty glances and not so subtle innuendos as the alcohol coursed through their systems. It was clear Nicole didn't require any liquid courage but it certainly helped the petite brunette. Waverly was working nights at a saloon called Shorty's and just started taking classes online in ancient languages while Nicole was gearing up for the police academy.

Waverly hazarded a glance around the redhead and found Wynonna staring at them from afar, gesticulating wildly in attempt to get a thumbs down or a thumbs up from her sister. Stifling a laugh, she brought a hand up to rake through her chestnut locks and gave what she prayed was a discreet thumbs up above her head.

Thankfully Wynonna caught it as evidenced by her jumping up and down in celebration like a madwoman. Waverly knew if she didn't ask Nicole for a dance she'd never hear the end of it. And she might regret it if she were being completely honest with herself.

Turning her attention back to the redhead, she asked, "Would you care to dance with me?" a twinkle in her hazel eyes.

"I would love to," came the easy reply. Nicole offered her hand to the younger woman and stepped them out toward the dance floor. For her part, Waverly was flying high. She was pleasantly drunk and if the electricity she felt when their skin met was anything to go by, she might forget all about her sister because she certainly had forgotten about her kiss with one Rosita Bustillos.

It took a minute to squeeze through the crowd and find themselves a bit of space but a remix of Janelle Monae's "Make Me Feel" kicked on with a powerful bass beat.

Waverly raised her arms above her head and started to rock her hips to the beat, eyes glued to Nicole's as the other woman too began to dance. There was hardly a hairsbreadth between them, bodies brushing as the sweep of the crowd, alcohol, and their attraction to one another carried them ever closer.

Nicole slung an arm around the brunette's hips, her fingers brushing the exposed skin between Waverly's light wash jeans and her blouse. Hazel eyes fell closed briefly, a sharp intake of breath hidden by the music leaving her lips as the touch raced heat through her veins.

Waverly allowed the flat of her palms to brush up the redhead's upper chest to curl around her neck, playing with the soft hairs there. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see the effect it had on Nicole as she hugged the brunette closer. She'd never had any trouble finding a girl to take home for the night but this one seemed something else entirely.

The song faded out and into the next but anything outside of each other was lost to the stare they held. Their bodies continued to move on auto pilot as Waverly glanced down to the redhead's lips before flicking back up. It was then that she surged forward and claimed what she wanted.

The kiss was electric, hungry, almost desperate, but god was it everything that she could have wanted in a kiss. Waverly felt a coiling sensation low in her gut as she fisted Nicole's shirt in her grasp, still damp from the rinsing in the bathroom. As she explored the redhead's lips with her own, she couldn't help the giggle that bubbled up from inside as she reveled in all the different kinds of dampness taking place tonight between the two of them. Nicole broke the kiss briefly, grinning wide, a questioning look on her face. Waverly just shook her head and grinned in response for a brief second before surging back up to capture those damned sexy lips once more.

The sudden vibration of her phone in her jeans pocket brought Waverly back to earth. Rather reluctantly, she broke the kiss but stayed close as a smile slowly curled her lips. She was silently thankful she'd worn her sparkly pink ankle boots with their two inch heel. It didn't completely negate their height difference but it certainly helped.

The redhead wore a lascivious smile, head lowered to bring her lips down to barely brush the shell of Waverly's ear as she spoke, "How would you feel about taking this back to my place?"

The short brunette swallowed past the lump now in her throat, edging back to look up into brown eyes flashing in the club's pulsing lights, one arm still draped over her shoulder. "I'd like that," she nodded, becoming surer of herself with a nervous smile. "Just, uh, let me text my...friend and let her know."

Nicole grinned back as they untangled themselves. "Sure. Meet me out front?"

Waverly nodded, retreating back toward the pool table where she'd last seen her sister. With no sign of Wynonna, she pulled out her phone and saw the text.

** _Wynonna [11:48 p.m.]:_ ** _ Don't worry about me, baby girl. Just remember, no glove- no love! Or whatever the lesbian equivalent of that is..._

Shaking her head with a laugh, she typed back.

** _Waverly [12:06 a.m.]:_ ** _ Thanks for the tip. I'll catch up with you tomorrow._

Suddenly three dots appeared and then a smattering of emoji's filled her screen. Between the downright dirty ones, the celebration, and thumbs up- she got the picture. Tucking her phone away, she blew out a deep breath. Maybe Wynonna was right, maybe this was just what she needed.

Making her way out of the club and into the darkness of the poorly lit parking lot, her eyes scanned around for her red Jeep. Coming up empty, she shook her head, realizing her sister must have taken it; all but forcing her to get home by some other means. They'd be having a conversation later about how far Wynonna went in "helping" her.

Eventually her eyes settled upon the figure of Nicole leaning up against a black Dodge Ram toward the rear of the lot. Setting her shoulders, she smiled and walked toward the other woman. "Got everything taken care of?" the redhead asked, pushing off the car.

Waverly only nodded as the rear passenger door was opened for her and shut once she was seated. Jogging around to the other side, Nicole hopped in beside her and told their Uber driver they were good to go.

The ride was short as they pulled up to a small four-story apartment building five minutes later. "You two ladies have a good night now," their older driver turned back toward them, tipping his worn baseball cap. Nicole had already hopped out but Waverly glanced over to the certificate bolted to the passenger side dashboard. "Thanks...Juan Carlo, you too," she smiled before stepping back out into the cool night.

Nicole led them up the front steps of the building and down a hall to her front door on the first floor. Fishing in her pocket for the keys, she opened the door and gestured for Waverly to enter first. It was entirely dark so she only walked forward a few steps as the redhead locked it behind them.

Pulling out her phone, she nervously scrolled through whatever tab she had open. "Everything okay?" she heard from behind her. Nicole stood close, but not touching as she settled a hand on the brunette's hip. The other came up to draw a curtain of chestnut locks away from one side of her neck.

Waverly's breath caught in her throat as she felt the other woman's lips ghost across her pulse point. Rather than stiffen, she leaned back a little into the warmth behind her. "Yeah. Sorry. Just uh, a little nervous," she pocketed her phone again.

Straightening to her full height, "Would you rather I take you home?" Nicole asked, her tone soft, conciliatory.

Suddenly the shorter woman whirled around, now face to face with the redhead. "No! No..." In the dim light coming through the closed blinds of the living room, she could just see those captivating brown eyes searching her hazel ones. She couldn't explain it but she'd known instantly in her heart this woman meant something to her when they'd met.

"You're sure?" Nicole pressed.

Rather than answer, the brunette leaned up and brought their lips together again in a searing kiss. It took a surprised moment for Nicole to respond but she pulled Waverly's body flush against her own, one hand brushing the hat off her head. It hit the floor with a soft thud as she pressed them forward toward her bedroom.

Their hands messily grappled with clothing, trying to find purchase on bare skin. Waverly's back bumped up against the door jamb, stopping them long enough to hastily pull Nicole's shirt over her head. Leaning back in, the redhead placed open mouthed kisses between the collar of her blouse and neck as her hands worked the loose knot that tied the two sides of the shirt together, showing off flat abs.

Groaning, Waverly hands traveled up to tangle in auburn locks. A soft growl fell from Nicole's lips as she struggled blindly with the buttons. The sound sent a torrent of arousal pulsing straight to Waverly's core. She grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled, crashing their lips back together, tongue seeking entrance.

The redhead moaned, lips parted to allow Waverly what she wanted as her frustration mounted. Suddenly the sound of ripping echoed in the mostly bare apartment. Buttons clattered to the floor, the brunette's garment finally pulled open. Breaking the kiss, she breathed out a soft "fuck" before shrugging out of her ruined shirt. She couldn't bring herself to care.

Nicole's hands were cupping her breasts over her bra and grabbing softly. Spying the bed from the corner of her vision, Waverly pushed the redhead off her and unceremoniously down onto the pulled out futon. Quickly, she crawled on top of the other woman and ground her hips down looking for friction. The bulge she felt against her center caused a gasp to slip out.

Looking up at the redhead, she asked with a raised brow," Are you...?"

Panting softly, Nicole nodded, "Yeah, but I can take it off-"

Rather than let her finish that sentence, Waverly rolled her hips against the redhead's again. How she hadn't noticed it before, she didn't know. But a wickedly devilish grin curled her lips as she continued to rock against the welcome surprise. Her bra came off moments later.

They both groaned as Nicole pulled her sports bra off and flung it to the floor as well. Sitting up, she let her hands run along the smooth contours of Waverly's sides. Her mouth came to envelope one hard nipple between her lips and the brunette moaned, back arching.

The smaller woman's hands found purchase on the redhead's shoulders, scratching lightly as that divine mouth worked her over better than any lover had before. She always enjoyed sex, but had she known it could be this amazing she might've come out sooner.

Nicole's hands made quick work of the button and zipper of her jeans so she hesitantly pulled herself back to get rid of them. Balled up with her panties in the growing pile on the floor, Waverly eased herself between the redhead's knees.

She briefly surged up to tease Nicole's nipples to attention while she undid her jeans as well. Once those were removed, she sat back on her heels, splaying her hands along firm thighs as she rubbed up and down. Confident in this particular dance, she grinned up at the redhead before her gaze settled on the discreetly tucked dildo in her tight boxer briefs.

Nicole laid back, visibly spellbound and unable to do anything but let Waverly do exactly as she pleased. And right now, what pleased Waverly was teasing her hands across Nicole's inner thighs before finally pulling her cock through the fly.

Waverly knew even though the other woman couldn't feel it, the show might be nice, so she slowly lowered her mouth around the head, one hand curled around the shaft as she pushed down on the base. The redhead's hips stuttered, eyes locked with the blown hazel one's staring up at her. "Jesus fucking Christ," she muttered.

She used her mouth and tongue to tease the head as her hand worked up and down the shaft for a few long moments. The shiver it sent through Nicole made her grin. Deciding to go for broke, she let go and eased herself down the length as far as she could take it. Above her she could hear a string of expletives leave the redhead's mouth like a soft chant.

Sitting back, Waverly let the cock bounce freely between them as she noted Nicole's fists curled into the comforter. "No need to keep your hands to yourself," she purred. The whimper she got in response only made her grin harder.

Faster than the redhead could comprehend, Waverly had removed her briefs and laid herself atop Nicole. If either of them had thought they'd felt the electricity between their skin before, they felt it tenfold now with nothing between them. The taller woman brought their lips together again as her hands wandered the expanses of smooth, soft skin.

It was as though fire followed the other woman's fingertips with each caress and Waverly could hardly contain herself. Writhing, she eventually had to break the kiss in order to breathe but her mouth immediately went to place gentle bites along Nicole's collarbone as she husked out, "I want to ride you..."

"Fuck, yes," she heard growled out above her. Unable to wait any longer, she shifted so that Nicole could grab her cock to allow Waverly to position herself. She guided her entrance over the head and slowly sank down with a loud moan. Soaking wet, her body easily stretched to accommodate it.

Below her, the redhead watched her face with rapt attention. Letting her settle a moment, she experimentally tipped her hips up and was rewarded with a gasp. "Please, please," Waverly pleaded, leaning down to press their bodies back together.

Nicole's hands came to grasp at her hips as she began a slow but steady rhythm. This was the first time Waverly had ever had sex like this, was she doing it right? Her mind flitted momentarily back to her experiences with Champ in high school. Could Nicole feel it as she lowered herself all the way down onto the base, grinding at the sex-slicked leather harness with a practiced swirl of her hips?

She certainly seemed appreciative, if the redhead's moans were any indication. Waverly could feel a sympathetic moan bubbling out from her own throat, and decided to leave her questions about the mechanics of _things_ for later.

Between panted breaths, they kissed, mouths nibbling at any skin they could reach. Undoubtedly they'd both find marks in the morning. Soon the pace of their thrusts became more frantic as Nicole groaned out, "Waves, I'm gonna come."

The brunette's heart clambered against the cage of her ribs at hearing that nickname float so effortlessly from Nicole's lips. Unable to pay it more mind, she cried out softly in response as she doubled down on her own efforts, also close.

"Ohmygod, ohfuckyesNicole," she chanted softly as the first wave of her orgasm crested. The redhead responded in kind, her own climax following. Both their bodies stiffened briefly before they were able to ride out the intense flood of pleasure, rocking together slowly to draw it out.

Eventually they stilled, trying to catch their breath as sweat cooled on their overheated bodies. Several long minutes passed when Waverly suddenly shivered. Nicole's brows came together in concern. "Hey, let's get you under the covers."

Nodding, she carefully got up and stood on weak knees. The redhead rolled off the bed and stepped out of her harness before pulling the covers down on the bed. Giving a grateful smile, the brunette slipped in. Nicole followed suit and got comfortable, exhaustion setting in. A glance at the digital clock on her nightstand read a little after 2 a.m. Within minutes both women were fast asleep.

***

The following morning, Waverly woke slowly to her unfamiliar surroundings. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, her brow furrowed as she realized she was alone in Nicole's bed. The covers were thrown back from her side and as she ran a hand over the sheets, they were cool to the touch. Looking at the clock, she saw it was a little past 10 a.m. She normally never slept so late.

Natural light bathed the room she'd hardly seen in the dark last night. Besides the futon bed, there was a small desk with a laptop perched on it with a chair against one wall. A tall, plain black dresser was the only other piece of furniture. One otherwise bare wall had a black and white Johnny Cash poster tacked to it. And a blue duffel bag sat open on the floor with what looked to be neatly coiled red climbing rope with a black helmet poking out.

Her clothes were still strewn on the floor but other than that, everything seemed to have its place. She groaned softly as a minor headache began to pound behind her temples; definitely dehydrated from drinking last night. Her mouth was dry and tasted like sawdust. And Waverly had no idea where Nicole was or how long she'd been alone. _Well, this is awkward_.

Shuffling out of bed, she grabbed her phone from her jeans pocket and saw it was at a dangerous 4% battery left with a couple text messages. Unlocking it with her thumb, she looked at the text thread with her sister.

** _Wynonna [9:24 a.m.]:_ ** _ Headed to work. Hope you had a BANGIN' time last night. Winking emoji._

** _Wynonna [9:52 a.m.]:_ ** _ Hey- let me know you didn't get axe murdered, yeah? _

She quickly typed out a message to reassure her.

** _Waverly [10:11 a.m.]:_ ** _ Not axe murdered. Phone is close to dying so saving it for a Lyft. Text when I get home._

With a last glance around the room she grabbed her clothes and got dressed. She had to tie her shirt extra snugly so as not to fall out of it; being devoid of buttons. Venturing out of the bedroom, she saw the rest of the apartment was similarly Spartan. Finding the bathroom, she noticed a folded note taped to the door with her name on it.

She pulled it off and sat down on the toilet to read the slip of torn out notebook paper. It was neatly scrawled with small letters and a phone number.

_Waverly-_

_Went out for a jog and didn't want to wake you. Hope you had a good night ;) Feel free to text me later._

_-Nicole_

Sighing softly, the brunette folded it back up and tucked it into her pocket to finish her business. After drinking a handful of water from the faucet, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair definitely had that 'just fucked' look. Raking her fingers through it to tame it a little, she shook her head at herself with a smile. Yeah, she'd be texting later. Pulling up her Lyft app, she called up a ride back to the homestead and let herself out of the apartment quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of a passionate night with Nicole, Waverly spends some quality time with her sister. Another chance encounter. Then the rug gets pulled out from under our favorite ray of sunshine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, a huge thank you to my beta @RyanTZeppo for his help and his additions in making this chapter better than it was. 
> 
> Also, this contains a little shout out to one of the first WayHaught fics I ever read by odaatlover!

Once Waverly entered the homestead, she set down her keys and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She was thankful Wynonna was at work, she wouldn't have to face the onslaught of indelicate, probing questions until later at least. Shedding her shirt, she laid it on the back of a chair to mend later; she'd checked it and all that was missing were the buttons so it'd be an easy fix. 

Stepping out of everything else, she resolved to do laundry before her evening shift. Her phone was plugged into its charger in the wall and she shot her sister a quick text to let her know she was home. Then she headed to the bathroom naked (another perk of Wynonna being gone because who doesn't enjoy walking around naked at home?). She turned the water on in the shower to heat up a little and looked in the mirror. It was faint, but she could see the little love bites below her collarbone. 

She smiled to herself, lightly drifting her fingertips over the bruises Nicole had left there. An unbidden shudder tickled its way down her spine as thoughts of last night replayed in her mind. The beginnings of desire started to swirl low in her belly again just thinking about it. _Get a grip, girl_. Stepping into the shower, she resolved not to dwell on the redhead if she could help it. 

It wasn't until she was dressed, laundry was finished, and the kitchen was spotless did she realize that that particular endeavor was a moot point. Thoughts of Nicole kept drifting in no matter what she attempted to immerse herself in doing. Checking her watch, she realized that at least she had work to get to soon. If she kept cleaning, Wynonna wouldn't lift a finger to help again.

Tossing her hair into a loose braid, she resolved to text Nicole once and then be done with it for the night. It was only polite, right? She grabbed the note from her discarded jeans pocket and programmed the number in. Then she sat on her bed, staring at the open text blankly. She started and deleted more attempts at a casual greeting than she'd like to admit. 

Eventually, she settled on 'Hey, it's Waverly. I really enjoyed last night. Maybe we could hang out sometime?' Of course she spent an additional ten minutes hemming and hawing before pressing send. Noting the time, she mumbled, "Crap." She only had a half hour to make it to Shorty's.

***

Driving up to the homestead after her long shift, thankfully one where she hadn't had time to think about one redheaded cadet, Waverly saw the house was dark. Which meant Wynonna was either passed out in her own bed or on the couch. Glancing at her dashboard clock, she yawned when she saw it was creeping toward 2am. 

Despite the fact her sister could sleep through a tornado, she was quiet as she made her way inside. The second she had the front door closed, the lights flipped on to reveal Wynonna lounging on the couch, wide awake and ready for her. 

"Jesus! Wynonna, you scared me!" Waverly was not expecting the inquisition so late. Sighing, she set her keys and purse down and moved to sit on the arm of the couch as the older brunette fixed her with a steely gaze. 

Long seconds ticked by in silence and just before she was about to chastise her sister, Wynonna jumped forward on her knees with a huge grin. "SO! How'd it go? Was it awesome? You had sex, right? Did she go down on you? Was she good? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she practically yelled.

Waverly shook her head. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep the silly smile from her lips. She just hoped her blush wasn't too obvious. "Wynonna, you know I love you. But you're the one that likes to overshare your sex life with me, not the other way around. Although," she held up a finger to stop the protest already forming, "If you MUST know...it was amazing!" 

The argumentative look Wynonna had started to give her melted as she yanked her sister down into a bear hug. "So proud of you, baby girl."

Waverly laughed but hugged her sister back before sitting up a little from the awkward position they'd fallen into on the couch. "You're the only person I know that would say that after their kid sister had sex with a woman for the first time."

The blue eyed brunette pretended to look offended, one hand on her chest. "Acca-scuse me? Just because I wasn't as thrilled when you boned Champ for the first time didn't mean I wasn't still proud then." 

Waverly gamely gave her sister a good-natured eye roll, but quietly basked in the affirmation. Only Wynonna would be proud of her for the current conversation topic, and right at that moment, Waverly wouldn't trade her for all the blankets in Canada. 

"You gotta tell me though, when's the wedding? I refuse to wear some godawful taffeta number for you!" 

Well, maybe not _all_ the blankets. Waverly chuckled but made sure to smack Wynonna' shoulder for good measure. "I don't even know if she wants to see me again." 

"Pfft," she scoffed. "Of course she will, if she's got half a brain. I know you're not the 'get some and get gone' type, baby girl. You like her, right?" 

Wynonna had a point there. "I definitely want to see her again. No U-Haul yet," she conceded. 

"Fair enough," she chuckled. "I do have to know one thing though." Crossing her arms over her chest, Waverly waited for it. "Does the carpet match the drapes?!" Without another word, the petite brunette rose from the couch and bid her sister goodnight while Wynonna lost it laughing at her own joke on the couch. It wasn't _that_ funny. 

Up in her room, Waverly changed into pajamas and settled into bed. She hadn't had a moment to even check her phone before leaving work. Though she was thankful she hadn't been staring at it all night with bated breath, hoping for a reply from Nicole. 

Grabbing it off her nightstand, she unlocked it and saw one unread message. She fought back the urge to squeal like a teenager. Opening the text, she read,

**Nicole [9:34 p.m.]:** _Glad to hear, I did too ;) Sounds good! I'll be super busy with academy during the week but maybe next weekend?_

It was definitely too late to text back but drifting off to sleep, there was a smile on Waverly's face. 

***

Not wanting to seem overly eager, Waverly replied back the following day with a non-committal 'Yeah, just let me know'. It was Sunday and she had two days off. She'd use the time to get ahead on her coursework. Later she'd have movie night with Wynonna. If she was lucky (read: highly unlikely) she wouldn't have to avoid answering more questions about her night with Nicole. 

At least it was her turn to pick the film. And as much as she knew the brunette would put up a fuss about it, deep down she knew Wynonna loved The Princess Bride just as much as she did. Though what they'd be eating would be up to her sister, which tended to consist mostly of whiskey. 

A year ago, she wouldn't have believed it if someone had told her movie nights with Wynonna would be a thing. After Uncle Curtis' funeral, she expected her to cut and run again. They'd had a near knockdown, drag out fight about it. But here they were, moved into the homestead together after she'd broken it off with Champ.

It was new and different, but it was good. And while Gus had been slow to believe it, it seemed like Wynonna really was going to stay. They even had a family dinner night once a month. Though she knew she probably owed a lot of it to Xavier Dolls. He was good, he was steady; all things uncommon in the life of an Earp.

She had to admit though, it was a little weird that her sister was now her biggest cheerleader, as wonderful as it could be. Particularly when it came to her giving Champ the boot and following her heart. Wynonna really was trying. And Waverly was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

She set her laptop down on her desk and went to make a pot of tea before she hunkered down and got into her class.

***

Sometime later, Wynonna barged through the front door loudly, startling Waverly from her work. Setting her headphones aside, she turned around as her sister came into the room. "Alright, you ready for movie night or what?" 

She noticed a brown paper bag tucked under one arm, and it clearly wasn't food. "Just about. What about dinner?"

"Got it covered, baby girl," grinning, she unsheathed a brand new bottle of whiskey from the bag under her arm and presented it proudly. 

As was custom, Waverly smiled with a shake of her head. _Of course_. "Weren't you just at work? Where did that come from?" 

Wynonna shrugged out of her leather jacket and tossed it over a chair. "I was. But Doc bet me I couldn't stay on the bull for thirty seconds and I made it to thirty-two! High five!" Holding up a hand, Waverly left her hanging, which quickly earned a raspberry blown her way. 

"Slow night at Pussy Willows, eh?" she chuckled, turning around to hit save on her latest document before shutting her computer. 

"Duh. There's hardly anyone to throw out on a Sunday. I'll grab us glasses!" the elder brunette kicked off her boots and headed to the kitchen. 

Standing, Waverly gave a stretch and figured it might be better to order in than try to cook something. Grabbing her phone, she headed to the couch and called in their usual order to the hole in the wall Chinese joint in town. Speaking a bit of Mandarin did come in handy, even in a small town like Purgatory. 

An hour later they were cozy on the couch with their take out containers and Princess Bride playing on the flat screen. Between bouts of quoting the movie line for line, they chatted around mouthfuls.

"So, am I gonna get any more dirt on your redheaded mystery woman?" Wynonna looked at her sister out of the corner of her eye.

Narrowing her eyes, Waverly slurped the last noodle from her chopsticks. "That depends. What do you wanna know?" 

"Uh, anything? Aside from looking like a fuck girl, all I know is she's good in bed! Which, you know, is enough for me, but I assume you got a few more deets." 

Rolling her eyes, the youngest Earp placed her empty carton on the coffee table. "Fine. Her name's Nicole Haught and she..."

"Whoa! Hold it right there! Her last name is Hot???" Wynonna interrupted. 

"She pronounced it like 'haute'. No idea how she spells it. But...I know right?!" Waverly giggled. 

The elder Earp chuckled. "Huh. Waverly Haute. Has a nice ring to it, don'tcha' think?" That earned her a smack in the arm from beside her, though she continued anyway, "Still, if this chick sticks around, I'm gonna have a field day with the puns," she snickered. "What else?"

Pausing a moment, she chewed her bottom lip. She wasn't sure it was wise to disclose this next part, but, if the redhead was going to be around, Wynonna would have to deal with it. "She just enrolled in the police academy." Unfortunately, it went about as well as expected when her sister choked on a bite of chow mein. 

"I'm sorry...did you just tell me you schtupped a cop?" Wynonna looked at her with big eyes.

"She's not a cop...Yet," Waverly shrugged. "C'mon, Wynonna, just because you have a..."

Those blue eyes got even bigger then, just daring her baby sister to say it.

"...complicated relationship with law enforcement doesn't mean all of them are terrible," she finished tactfully. "Besides, isn't Dolls a detective?!"

"Hey, you leave him out of it. It's different," Wynonna pointed a finger in her defense.

Waverly however, wasn't having it. Arms crossed over her chest, she arched a brow. "Oh really? How so?"

Grumbling to herself, Wynonna knocked back the remainder of whiskey in her glass. "We're not dating," was all she could come up with by way of retort. 

"Nicole and I aren't exactly dating either," she leveled her big sister with a pointed look.

Opening her mouth to reply, Wynonna deflated for a moment. "No, but you want to!" 

Rolling her eyes, she got to her feet once she realized the end credits were playing. "That's not fair and you know it," she admonished before cleaning up her dinner mess and bringing it into the kitchen to pitch.

A few moments later, Wynonna slunk into the kitchen behind her and melted into a chair with a light huff. "I know. I'm sorry Waves, I just...I saw what being law did to Daddy and I don't want that for you," she confessed.

Leaning against the sink, Waverly softened. "Daddy was just...Daddy. I don't think being the sheriff made things much different." Wynonna looked up at her from her chair with an unreadable expression on her face for a moment before turning her head to gaze into the inky blackness of the night through the scratched and weathered window pane overlooking the dining table. Waverly gave a soft sigh. How was it that some men managed to cast such a long shadow even from the grave?

Rather than dwell on it, she moved to kiss Wynonna on the forehead. "I'm going to bed. I need to head into the city tomorrow. Got some research to do for class and the Purgatory Public Library just isn't gonna cut it." 

"Night, baby girl." 

***

The following day found Waverly deeply immersed in the history section of the city's library from opening until late afternoon. She'd thankfully found the old tombs she needed to complete an assignment and started packing up her stuff. She'd just miss rush hour traffic returning to Purgatory but a yawn suddenly bubbled up. 

A cup of black tea was definitely in order before she hit the road. Shouldering her bag, she headed out into the bright daylight and cast a glance down the street. Thankfully there was a coffee shop within stone's throw. 

She headed into 'The Grind' and got in line behind a couple other people at the counter. It was a cute little spot; obviously popular with the number of tables filled by...police officers? There were quite a few in uniform and it struck her as a little odd. She supposed they must be near a precinct. 

Once at the front of the line, she ordered and paid before shuffling off to the side to wait. Grabbing her order, she moved to the little kiosk to sprinkle a bit cinnamon on top before securing the lid. Focused on taking a sip, she turned around and bumped directly into another person. "Oh my gosh, I'm so-"

Waverly barely avoided spilling tea down her front when she turned and came face to chest with the other person. Her eyes flicked up and were met with familiar soft brown eyes and red hair. The remainder of her apology died on her tongue as she realized she'd just bumped into Nicole Haught, yet again. 

It was clear by the look on the taller woman's face she had not expected to run into Waverly of all people either. A moment of shock flit across her features before she had a beat to recover herself. A slow smile curled her lips then. "I guess you're going to make a habit of this, eh?" 

When the words reached her ears, it pulled the brunette out of her reverie and she blushed. Rather than fall into those eyes or stare at those amazing lips, Waverly tried to cast her glance somewhere safer. It landed on the large, white capital letters that spelled out 'HAUGHT' across the other woman's chest however. 

She risked a look up and was caught by the smirk on Nicole's mouth. "Jesus..." she mumbled, looking to the floor. Then she heard a throaty chuckle. _Get it together, you knob!_ "I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. I swear I'm not as big of a klutz as you must think I am." 

The redhead was clad in a dark navy sweat suit and a pair of running shoes and somehow she still managed to make it look as attractive as all get out. As delightfully young and full of abandon as it made Waverly feel, she kinda wished the fluttering in her belly would just quit already. 

Shaking her head with a little smile, "It's all good," Nicole assured her. "What brings you into the city?" Raising a brow, she stood casually and sipped the cup of coffee in her hand.  
"Oh, uh, research. I was at the library all morning. What about you?" the brunette tried to reign herself in and pulled her bag tighter across her shoulder. 

That question was met with another chuckle. "The academy is just the other side of the next block," she answered anyway. 

_Oh my god, she must think I'm a complete idiot_. Another blush crept up her neck as she just nodded, not wanting to make things worse by opening her mouth again. Nicole's gaze flicked to the side for a moment, and suddenly the mood took a drastic turn. She stood stiffly, turning her body toward the door. "Look, uh, I'm sorry but I gotta run. Can't be late for class," she threw a thumb over her shoulder.

Waverly's brows knit together momentarily at the abrupt change. "Oh. Yeah, totally." 

"But, uh, maybe I'll see you at the club this weekend?" Nicole took a couple steps backward toward the exit.

"Yeah, maybe," the brunette forced a smile before waving awkwardly as the other woman made haste out the door. 

She stood there dumbly, staring after the other woman. _What in the world was that all about?_

***

Their encounter at the coffee shop left Waverly feeling much less confident about things. The ride back to the homestead was filled with unanswered questions: Did Nicole really think she was an idiot? Was it something she'd said? Had she just gotten the brush off? 

She was unsuccessful in fighting off the offending thoughts and it saddened her more than it probably should have. Coming off the back of the Rosita thing didn't help matters. Even if they'd gone farther than she and Rosita ever had, would Nicole still suffer the same fate in relation to her? Would the redhead be yet another almost, a could-have-been?

Waverly wearily climbed up the few porch light-illuminated steps to the homestead in the twilight of late evening, she resolved to put her existential dread out of her mind for now and focus on her classes and work. 

Almost as though summoned through the ether by that very thought, Waverly was greeted with the sight of her pajama-clad sister laid out on the couch (with a _book_ of all things in her hands) as she entered into the house. "Hey Waves," Wynonna said in a distracted greeting, keeping the unexpected material firmly in reading position just above her chest.

Unslinging her bedazzled denim book satchel from her shoulder and depositing it onto the entryway end table, Waverly squinted slightly at the sight of her sister engaged in something so..._normal_. From the look of it, the book was a paperback novel, not even big enough to hide a nudy mag inside of for maximum irony points. "Hey 'Nonna," she responded with just a hint of wariness. "Finally decided to try and learn from history instead of just repeating it?"

"Ha, ha," her sister spared her a wry glance from her prone position. "It's actually a gift from Dolls. Something about a cop working in a city on a World of Discs?" A shrug shifted the couch cushion beside her. "He said this book was one of the things that made him want to be a detective."

Waverly advanced on her sister as she made for the kitchen, and her suspicion was confirmed as she recognized the author and the title of the novel in Wynonna's hands. A warm smile tugged at her lips. "Any good?" She asked, careful to keep any mirth from her voice.

Another shrug. "It's okay, I guess. It's got a couple of kinda funny guys --y'know, for cops-- in it. But it's starting to read like that Les Mis thing you were obsessed with back in high school. Barricades in the street and all that."

She let out an only mildly indignant huff as she marched past the couch and its offending occupant into the kitchen to make some tea. "I was _not_ obsessed!" she called out over her shoulder as she set upon the kettle station.

"I'm not the one who read that insanely long book, in French so you 'wouldn't miss anything in the translation', just because of a musical," came the soft sing-song taunt from the living room.

Waverly shook her head, but couldn't help the easy grin that settled onto her features as she set about putting a bag into the kettle and lighting the stove.

"Hey, you gonna see your ginger Pop Tart this weekend?" the darker brunette asked. 

"My wha-" It took a second, but then she got it. With the kettle securely placed on the lit burner, she ambled back into the living room. "Ah. Uh, no, I don't think so."

That actually got Wynonna to put the book down and sit up to fully face her. "Why not?" 

Waverly chewed on her lower lip as she again debated sharing with her sister. Blowing out a small breath, she figured there was no real reason not to. "I saw her at a coffee shop in the city on Monday after my research trip. I didn't realize it was so close to the academy until I saw a bunch of officers sitting around. And she kinda...freaked out?"

"I dunno, we were talking one minute and the next, she's spooked and takes off claiming she can't be late for class. It was really weird. I did kinda make an ass of myself though. I bumped into her." At least that time it was actually an accident, she thought as she sank into the living room couch.

"Be kind and rewind, baby girl. Sounds like you caught her off guard in front of a bunch of other cops. Maybe she's not out at school," Wynonna shrugged beside her, reaching to the coffee table to grab a mouthful of something. 

That took her aback momentarily. Her sister was never normally the voice of reason but...it did make sense. She hadn't thought of it that way. _Huh_. "Thanks, Wy." Leaning over, she pecked her on the cheek before getting up.

"Wha' for?" Wynonna canted her head as she licked Cheetos dust off her fingers. 

Waverly smiled and pulled her hair back into a quick ponytail. "For being the voice of reason. Now, I'm gonna go get ready and head to the club before anything else from Bizzaro world happens!" 

Watching her sister retreat towards the whistling tea kettle, Wynonna called after her, "Uh, you're welcome? Go get it!"

***

Getting ready took a little extra time after her shower. She wanted to make sure she was looking extra cute. Where her sudden surge of courage came from, Waverly couldn't be sure, but she was excited about the prospect of spending more time with the tall redhead. Her sister was probably right; she could do this. 

She made it to the club a little after 9pm and it was already crowded. Squeezing her way in, she went to get a drink from the bar to calm the sudden fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. No sign of Nicole yet, but there'd be plenty of time. 

After spending what felt like forever in line, she got a glass of whiskey and Coke. Sipping lightly, she decided to head to the corner with the pool table to see if she could spot Nicole. Only what she saw there stopped her cold in her tracks. 

Nicole was there alright. Except she had another woman pressed up against the wall and was kissing her senseless. Waverly's stomach felt like it dropped to the floor in a heap as her mouth went dry. She knew damn well the other woman didn't owe her anything but...that didn't stop the ache that began in her heart. 

Entirely dejected, she quietly turned and came face to face with someone familiar. It was the woman Nicole had been playing pool with the night they'd met. "'Scuse me," Waverly glanced down and tried to pass but the other woman held up a hand. 

"Look, I know I don't know you and you don't know me, but I'm gonna do you a favor. Nic is a friend of mine. She's not a one girl kind of woman. Do yourself a favor and leave it alone."

Waverly's eyes widened in disbelief as her eyebrows nearly met her hairline. "I'm sorry, what?"

The other woman smiled, "She was your first time, right? I've seen it a million times. You had your sexual awakening and you think you're in love. She doesn't want a puppy tugging at her coat tails."

Hot anger and embarrassment flooded her veins at the audacity of this woman. Unable to come up with anything to say in the moment, Waverly threw the remainder of her drink in the woman's face. 

The people around them moved several paces back and one bystander gasped. A hush came over the crowd as they registered what happened despite the pump of the music pushed through the club's speakers. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks so she raced past the rude woman and straight for the front door. 

The security guard was bewildered as she bolted past him and outside into the chilly night. There was a line of people outside the door now waiting for entry and Waverly didn't want to be near anyone right now. She took off further into the parking lot toward her Jeep parked at the rear. As tears began to stream down her face, she stopped and leaned both hands on the hood, trying to calm herself enough to drive. 

Her breath came in shallow puffs of condensation in the cold as her tears hit the pavement below. _How could someone be so cruel?_ Then she heard the clomp of foot fall coming quickly toward her. Picking her head up, she turned to see Nicole running toward her. "Seriously?" she muttered, trying to muster up some control. 

Standing up straight, she quickly wiped her face and smoothed down her outfit as Nicole came to a stop a few feet in front of her. "Waverly, I-" she started.

"No," she cut her off. "Did you seriously leave that other girl you were just kissing in there to come out here and what? Stop me from leaving?"

It didn't seem as though the redhead had thought that far ahead as she struggled for words, her mouth opening and closing uselessly like a fish. 

"Look, I-I thought we shared...something. More than just a physical connection. Clearly that's all you were looking for and it's my fault for assuming any more than that. Between brushing me off at the coffee shop and seeing you with another woman tonight, you've made that abundantly clear. Your friend back there just made sure to hammer it home." 

"And she had absolutely no right to say that to you..."

"No, she didn't," Waverly cut in again. "But it's pretty clear you weren't going to." She folded her arms across her chest. 

The taller woman folded in on herself. Guilt was plainly etched on her face and those damn, big brown eyes. 

The petite brunette let out a humorless laugh. "I may not know what I deserve but it's definitely better than that. Don't worry, I'll stay outta your way." Without a beat, she wrenched the Jeep's door open and slammed it behind her. The engine turned over and she peeled out of the parking lot, satisfied to see Nicole jump back.

It was a petty, hollow satisfaction. But really, it was the most she could reasonably expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Ouch_. Stay tuned for the final chapter and see if our girls can find their way outta this mess! 
> 
> I live for comments so please let me know how you like it? Or you can hit me up on Twitter @fanwolf1216 if you feel the need to yell.
> 
> p.s. the book referenced here is all @RyanTZeppo!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Wynonna don't see eye to eye in the aftermath of the youngest Earp's debacle with Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed this fic got (unintentionally) longer than I had previously planned- sorry! Hopefully you find this bit both humorous and worth the push on the conclusion. 
> 
> Thanks as always to my beta and friend @RyanTZeppo!

The ride back to the Homestead was a blur until she heard her tires crunch along the gravel drive as she pulled to a haphazard stop behind Wynonna's truck. _Isn't she supposed to be at work? _Sighing, Waverly rested her forehead against the steering wheel. She wanted nothing more than to give in and break down, but she didn't particularly want her sister to see her crying and have to talk about it right now.

Often in difficult moments like this, she wished desperately that Uncle Curtis was still alive. He always knew what to say, but only if she asked. Otherwise he'd simply hold her while she cried over whatever, without judgment. After that accident that claimed her Daddy and Willa's lives, after Wynonna left, he was her home. Her safe place.

As a fresh surge of grief threatened to overtake her, she took in a deep breath, and blew it out slowly before stepping out of her Jeep. She could only assume her makeup was pretty well ruined. Nothing she could do about it now as she slowly walked to the front door and let herself in.

Much to Waverly's dismay, her elder sister was stationed in the exact same place on the couch in front of the TV, still in her pajamas. Brushing her hair back, she set her keys down and made a beeline for the stairs. If she was lucky, Wynonna wouldn't notice.

"Baby girl?" she heard just as her left foot hit the first stair. _No such luck; of course_. Pausing, she took several steps back to look at her.

"What are you doing back so soon? I figured you wouldn't be back 'till tomorrow mornin'," she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

And that was all it took. Suddenly, the petite brunette burst into tears. Wynonna's eyes went as wide as saucers for a start

led moment. A second later she had sprung from her seat and rushed to her younger sister's side. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

All she could do was cry, unable to form words yet so she was escorted to the couch in Wynonna's arms. They sat silently for a few minutes until the tears had slowed. "I-I'm sorry, Wy..." she sniffled.

"What in the world are you sorry for?" she rubbed a hand over her back.

"This," Waverly gestured with a hand to the messy state she was in with a light laugh.

"Hush your face. I love you," Wynonna planted a kiss on her head. "Do you wanna tell me what the hell happened?"

Wiping the last of her tears, the younger Earp took a deep breath and began to recount the night's events, culminating in the confrontation with that _awful_ friend if Nicole's.

"She said _what_?" Wynonna asked through gritted teeth. "Ya know what, never mind. You stay here; I'm gonna go knock some fuckin' sense into those fuckin'..."

She moved to get up but in a panic, Waverly pulled her back down onto the couch. "No! You can't just go around punching people, even if they might deserve it..."

"'Might'?" Wynonna laughed bitterly and tensed as if she was going to move again, but stilled when she saw what Waverly hoped was a sufficiently pleading face. She was restless with the need to do _something_ but after a long moment, she pulled her sister back into her arms. "Baby girl, that is awful and I'm so sorry. They more than deserve a good ass kicking. Or at least a little scare from Peacemaker..."

"'Nonna, please promise me you won't go threaten them." There was nothing but silence and a blank stare in return. "Wynonna!"

"Ugh, fine," she relented with a roll of her eyes. "Do you need anything?"

Warily eyeing her sister, she allowed the subject change. "No. I'm okay. I uh, think I just wanna go to bed early."

"Alright. Well if you need me I'll be up. Okay?" Wynonna was bent over to catch her eye.

Waverly nodded with a poorly forced little smile and got up. As much as she appreciated the support, she really did just want to be alone right now. Her brain was busy trying to put together the pieces of why. Maybe not the healthiest way to spend her time but she couldn't help it.

After washing off her ruined make-up and brushing her teeth in the bathroom, she slid into her bed that felt suddenly too big. Had she made a mistake in breaking up with Champ? He was a man-child, yes, but he did love her. Didn't he? Maybe in his own way, but not in the way she wanted; that counted.

Heaving a sigh, she snuggled down under her five blankets when her phone started ringing loudly and vibrating against her nightstand. Reaching out, she grabbed it and saw that it was Nicole calling. A fresh surge of anger rushed through her and she hit decline. Then it rang again, and again, she hit decline. _Is she trying to add further insult to injury? _Why wouldn't the redhead simply have gone back to her latest conquest?

Then there was a chime from her phone notifying her of a received text. _Really?_ Rolling her eyes, she decided to just read the damn thing. She hit the notification and saw the message.

**Nicole [10:48pm]:** _I know it doesn't mean anything to you right now but Waverly, I am sorry._

A twinge of guilt suddenly nagged at her thoughts. _What does she have to be sorry for? She didn't owe me anything._ Which still begged the question, why did it sting so badly? A frustrated tear escaped her eye before she angrily wiped it away. Rolling over, she forced her thoughts at bay and tried to fall asleep.

***

Soft touches. So soft. The sweep of a feminine hand across her hip. Barely there kisses. A flash of red hair. The brush of lips. Her fist curled in white sheets. The crest before the fall. Suddenly the bottom dropped out from beneath her and Waverly woke with a start. She sat up on her elbows, eyes searching the room frantically. "Jesus..." she muttered, trying to take a deep breath as she settled back on the bed.

She pushed a sweaty strand of hair from her forehead. _Now I'm having sex dreams about her?! For Pete's sake..._It was like her subconscious was purposefully playing with her. Angrily, she turned onto her side and closed her eyes again. Only to stare at the back of her eyelids for the better part of fifteen minutes.

Beyond aggravated, Waverly rolled onto her back and hesitantly slipped her right hand into her panties. One touch quickly confirmed the dream had made her wet. In the express interest of getting back to sleep, she resolved to get herself off and be done with it. When she woke up tomorrow, she'd delete Nicole's number from her phone and that would be that.

Soon her soft moans faded to nothing as sleep took over once more.

***

The next day found her working at the bar after having insisted Shorty take the day off, even though it was **her** day off. She needed something to keep her mind off the train wreck of the night before. Halfway through her shift, she sat on a crate in the kitchen on her break and stared at Nicole's contact in her phone. She knew she should delete it. That it was the right thing to do. But something kept her from being able to hit that delete button.

She sat on the uncomfortable crate for a distressing length of time, her thumb hovering over the nuclear option button, twitching every so often as she mustered some measure of will to just be done with it. Every time though, she'd pull back before making contact, her thoughts dancing back to that magical night when everything had gone right for that one moment.

Before she knew it, the clocked showed that her break was over. She'd wasted the entire time trying and failing to take even this small step to work through this...hell. Sighing, she closed the app and left it be. At least she had to get back to work.

***

A week passed by with no further contact from Nicole. Parts of herself continued to war within as she sat on one of the chairs on the homestead's front porch early one morning. Her legs were tucked up under her chin with her fluffy bathrobe pulled tight around her. The cup of tea at her elbow had long gone cold as she stared out at the mountains.

She was enjoying the peace when the front door suddenly opened and slammed against the wall. Jumping up, she held her hand over her chest. "What the hell, 'Nonna? You scared the crap outta me..."

Wynonna came to stand in front of her little sister and pushed her back down in the chair. "I'm sorry baby girl but I can't sit around here anymore and watch you mope over hot mess or whatever the hell her name is!"

The youngest Earp's brows knit together in confusion. "What are you talking about? I'm fine."

The older brunette's arms came to cross over her chest with that time honored 'you're full of shit' glare.

"I'm fine," she insisted with a furrowed brow, her own arms crossing over her chest.

Sighing, Wynonna squatted down to rest her hands on her sister's knees. "You know you're a terrible liar, right?"

Waverly couldn't keep the petulant pout from her lips. "I am not..."

"Yes you are. And I love that about you. Please tell me what's going on in that big brain of yours?" she tapped her temple to emphasize her words.

Hanging her head in defeat, she groaned quietly, pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes. "I can't stop wondering what's so wrong with me..."

"Hey," Wynonna snapped, "Don't you dare. Look at me." Looking up into those bright blue eyes, she bit her lower lip. "There is nothing wrong with you, Waverly Pamela Earp."

"That's not my..." only her sister glared to stop her from finishing that sentence.

"There's nothing wrong with you. There's something wrong with **them**," she touched their foreheads together. "Okay? You will find someone who treats you right. You deserve the world baby girl."

Smiling through teary eyes, Waverly touched their noses together, "Thanks, Wy. I love you."

"Love you too, Waves. Now, I'm working the early shift tonight but I won't be home till later." Wynonna got up and stretched to her full height.

"You hanging out with Dolls tonight?" the younger brunette snuggled deeper into her robe, the cold was starting to seep into her bones.

"Uh, yeah. Totally. Gotta shower before work. I'll catcha later," she bent down to place a kiss on her sister's head before going back inside.

Waverly watched her go. _She thinks **I'm** the bad liar?_ Shortly thereafter the cold got to her and she headed in as well to get some studying done before her shift.

***

What felt like the world's longest shift made her forget all about Wynonna's lie and whatever repercussions that might entail. The regular crowd at Shorty's was extra rowdy. Ultimately, she'd gotten them to quiet down by channeling all of the rage and frustration that had been bubbling up within her for the past two weeks and violently threatening to cut them all off. She hadn't elaborated if the promise of "cutting them off" was restricted solely to their collective access to the alcohol, and she hadn't particularly felt the need to do so either. The collective look of shock on all of their faces had been more satisfying than it really should have.

Even Purgatory's nicest person couldn't be _too_ nice, all the time.

So by the time she returned to the homestead and got comfortable in bed, her phone ringing was the last sound she wanted to hear. Glancing at the screen, she saw a number she didn't recognize and hit ignore. It was close to one AM.

A few minutes later, it rang again and this time her sister's contact photo popped up (Wynonna flipping off the camera, of course). Sighing to herself, she answered with a less than cordial greeting, "This better be good."

A humorless laugh met her ear next. "Oh, I think it's pretty good. Hey Waves, uh, I don't suppose you'd mind picking me up, would ya?"

"You can't get yourself home? Are you drunk?" While this kind of call wasn't surprising, it had become less frequent thanks to Dolls presence in her sister's life and rideshare finally coming to Purgatory.

"While I'm not exactly sober, I'm not drunk. And no, they won't let me go..." she trailed off quietly on that last part.

"'They' who? What's going on?" Waverly's already thin patience was wearing.

"I'm in the city. I kinda need you to bail me outta jail. I swear though, I can pay you back on Friday!" the elder Earp added quickly. "Um, they're glaring at me now. I need to get off the phone. Will you come get me?"

"Fine," she huffed out before the line went dead after a rushed 'thank you, love you, you're the best!' Part of her wanted to just let her sister languish in jail for the night but she knew she'd never _actually_ do that to her.

Sighing again, the petite brunette climbed out of bed and changed out of her pajamas to hop in the Jeep and make the trek into the city. She was however, in no rush. She might be an angel but Waverly was no saint.

Forty five minutes later she was pulling into a spot at the city precinct and her stomach started doing back flips. What if she ran into Nicole? No, there was no reason for a cadet to be at the station this late...

She entered the three story grey brick building with exposed concrete support struts, which she could only really describe as Brutalist. Eventually she was directed to where she could bail out her sister. The older female clerk looked less than enthused when she handed over a clipboard for her to sign. She tried for an apologetic smile but was met with a blank stare as she handed the paperwork back.

There were several other women in the waiting room tapping away on their cell phones. Clearly it was a busy night. It was then that a tall, lanky male officer came out from behind the counter. "Miss Earp?"

"Yes?" Waverly acknowledged him politely.

"This way," he motioned for her to come with him behind the swinging divider and lead her down a short hall. "Your sister is quite the spitfire. We had to separate her from all the others just to keep the peace. Wait here please." _The others? The hell...? _

He stopped in front of a door with a keypad lock but through the reinforced window set into it she could see that her sister was sitting alone in one cell and a large group of women in the adjacent one. Was that Nicole's awful friend sitting in there??

Soon Wynonna joined her in the hall, cuffs and all through which she gave a chagrined little wave. She was sporting a split lip and the beginnings of a decent black eye. Waverly merely glared as they were led to an open area with a bunch of desks and couple officers working. Her sister was plunked down in the chair next to the desk of Officer Lanky as he scribbled on some paperwork.

The petite brunette's arms were crossed over her chest as her hazel gaze traveled the room. Her eye was pulled to the far side where one familiar redhead sat, not cuffed, next to another desk and officer. Even from this distance, her right eye was a stunning shade of purple and swollen shut. Waverly couldn't help the gasp that fell from her lips. Quickly looking away, she bent down toward her sister to hiss against her ear, "What the _shit_, Wynonna?!"

Before she could answer, the officer butt in, "You're very lucky, Earp. No charges are being brought against you except for disturbing the peace."

"What?!" came out of both Earp sisters mouths simultaneously as they looked to the officer in surprise. _Of course, I should've known she'd be the instigator_; Waverly rolled her eyes at herself.

"Yes, your original, intended target is declining to press assault and battery charges. You're also lucky she's not officially a cop yet," he gave her a stern look while sliding over a release to sign for her belongings to be returned.

_Fuck_. Chancing a glance over while her sister willfully ignored her death glare, her eyes caught Nicole's for the briefest of seconds before they both looked away. Why the hell wouldn't she press charges if Wynonna went after her? Clearly her sister had gotten a good shot in. Before Wave could question it any further, the officer handed over a small bag containing Wynonna's belongings and then unlocked the cuffs.

"Let's get outta here, baby girl," the elder Earp stood and started to drag her toward the exit by the elbow. She wanted to protest, but allowed it, leaving with one last lingering look at the redhead. There was a distinctive slump to her shoulders as another officer came up and offered her an ice pack.

Rather than make a scene in the police station or parking lot, Waverly waited until both the Jeep doors were shut before whirling on her big sister. "You wanna tell me what the _hell_ happened tonight?!" she turned the full force of her ire on Wynonna, who at least had the good sense to look chastised.

"I had enough of watching you be miserable any longer so I went to the club and did the thing you asked me not to do...It sorta turned into a brawl," she crossed her leather jacket clad arms.

"So you're telling me you got an entire bar full of lesbians arrested?" Waverly pointed toward the station.

"What can I say? I'm just that good," Wynonna smirked, self-satisfied.

A proper glare made that disappear quickly. "So why wasn't Nicole behind bars too?"

"They let her out. She didn't even take a swing at me! She was the one that broke it up..." she grumbled, clearly disappointed. "I saw her first and I went in swinging, but I didn't realize Danielle was behind us, blindsided me. Red pulled her off."

"Danielle?" was the only question she could verbalize right now; beyond confused by the information she was receiving.

"Red's asshole buddy that was a dick to you. Her and I getting into it set off a whole bunch of other women. I gotta say, Waves that was one of the more fun bar fights I've gotten into. Those chicks did not hold back!"

Waverly buried her face in her hands, trying to take in what happened. Looking up with tired eyes, she suddenly lost all her steam. "You're okay, right?"

"No worse for wear, baby girl. Promise. Besides, dudes dig scars, right?" Only Wynonna received no answer.

Guilt looked like it was started to seep in, a frown curling her mouth downward. Nodding, Waverly turned the key in the ignition and spoke quietly, "Let's just get home."

***

The ride back to the Homestead was silent. And she could tell that it unnerved her sister more than her continued yelling by the way she fidgeted in the passenger seat the whole time. She just didn't have it in her; anger deflated like a weeks old balloon.

Once inside, the youngest Earp sat heavily at the kitchen table and folded her arms to rest her head on. Wynonna hung back by the doorway and looked as though she wanted to say something. Staring for a long moment at her, Waverly sat up. "I need to know, Wynonna. How is it one minute you can go from trying for sister of the year and the next you go against my wishes and do exactly what I asked you not to?"

A long silence fell, the dust settling around them after the drop.

"Technically I only promised not to threaten them..." she answered after a long beat.

Despite herself, a little smiled tugged the corner of one side of her mouth. Shaking her head, she gestured for her sister to sit down. Blowing out a sigh, Wynonna did so, but not before grabbing the bottle of whiskey from the top of the fridge.

She took a long pull directly from the bottle before she spoke again. "I guess I'm trying to make up for leaving you behind. I've always done my best to protect you. From Daddy, from Willa...I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving. That I was giving you a chance," she shrugged.

Waverly reached out a hand and clasped her sister's in her own. "You don't get to decide what's best for me. I'm not a helpless child anymore..."

"You've never been helpless, baby girl," Wynonna cut in. "You're the strongest person I know."

A gentle smile crinkled Waverly's eyes as she gave her hand a squeeze. "Your love and support mean the world to me, 'Nonna. You're here now. And that's what matters. But I don't need you to fight my battles for me anymore."

Sighing, she grabbed the bottle again and took another long swig. "I'm sorry, Waves."

Giving her sister's hand one last squeeze, she swiped the bottle from her and took a drink of her own. "Want me to get you cleaned up?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks though. Just gonna finish this bottle and pass out," she took it back with a smile as she got up from the table.

Waverly got up and pulled Wynonna into a hug first. It lingered longer than made the eldest Earp comfortable but she stayed put for the time being.

Pulling back, she gave a kiss to her forehead, "Night, Wave."

"Night, Wynonna," she smiled and watched her head to her bedroom.

Waverly ran a hand through her hair and debated on a cup of decaf tea but decided against it and headed up to her room. Exhaustion quickly settled in as she changed back into her pajamas. It had been a long damn night. But her last thought before passing out as her head hit the pillow was of Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought? I don't like how you can't leave kudos on separate chapters of the same work which can make it hard to gauge any impact. You're also welcome to hit me up on Twitter @fanwolf1216!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly laments about Nicole and makes a decision after confiding in a childhood friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this one folks. The holidays were rough and I've finally recovered. Thank you as always to my beta and friend @RyanTZeppo!

A hawk cry, tinny yet insistent, rang out across the barren mountain ranges in the distance framed in silhouette by the setting sun. As Waverly sipped her steaming mug of tea on the porch of the homestead, she liked to imagine it was a cry of victory, of elation; that bird was soaring through the skies over a land just starting to bloom into spring, held aloft with fresh currents of energizing arctic air belied by an endless carpet of green sprouts and leaves beneath her. That bird wasn't shackled by societies and expectations and crushing self-doubt, she was well and truly free. What more could a creature ask for?

Waverly sighed. Several weeks had passed by with little hurrah after Wynonna's thankfully brief jail stint, and she still couldn't get over the fact that Nicole hadn't pressed charges against her sister. It had certainly saved the eldest Earp a world of trouble considering her record. But why? That was the question Waverly couldn't stop asking herself.

Why hadn't Nicole fought back? She'd have been well within her rights to defend herself, and a police member -even a cadet- would have almost no trouble getting a district attorney to side with her character over Wynonna's admitted delinquency in a legal suit. But she hadn't done that either. Why?

The thoughts nagged at her relentlessly and drove her to near distraction. Her shifts at work had passed by in nondescript blurs, her research sessions were quickly becoming hour-long sessions of reading the same paragraph over and over again, and as much as her pride didn't want to admit to Wynonna having a point, she couldn't deny that it was a rare evening when Waverly didn't watch the sun set while -yes- brooding on the porch. For her sister's part, she'd paid Waves back as promised and picked up extra shifts at Pussy Willow's to cover it. Between that and spending time with Dolls, she hadn't been around much.

Not that it would do any good to bring up her questions with Wynonna anyway. Chrissy on the other hand...a sudden wave of guilt crashed over her. Chrissy Nedley was undoubtedly one of her only true friends. She was certainly the only one who'd bothered to continue hanging out with her well after their mutual stint in high school had run its course. But since Wynonna had come back, their contact had been minimal; just a handful of texts, mostly about having broken it off with Champ.

Grabbing her phone, Waverly unlocked it with her finger and pulled up her messages to type in a quick text to the Sheriff's daughter.

**_Waverly [7:06 p.m.]:_** Hey Chris. It's been a while. How are you?

**_Chrissy [7:08 p.m.]:_** Hey! Good. What about you? Things still going well with Wynonna?

**_Waverly [7:09 p.m.]:_** I'm good. And yes, they are. I wanted to apologize for being so absent lately

**_Chrissy [7:12 p.m.]:_** Don't worry about it. I know you've been busy reconnecting with your sister. Besides, we've been friends for how many years??

**_Waverly [7:14 p.m.]:_** Still, I'd like to make it up to you! Can I take you out for lunch soon? Catch up?

**_Chrissy [7:25 p.m.]:_** Of course! I'd love that!

Breathing a sigh of relief, the youngest Earp concluded the conversation by setting up a lunch date on her day off between Chrissy's classes at the college campus in the city. Even though they'd remained friends after high school, as they'd gotten older their respective interests and careers (such as they were) hadn't allowed them to connect as much as they once had. Regardless, she was looking forward to lunch with her childhood friend even if she didn't tell her the Nicole drama.

***

As the week passed by, Waverly began to talk herself out of even bringing it up. It wasn't that she was afraid of Chrissy not being supportive. It just didn't...feel right, like she was being selfish for reaching out about something so trivial when they hadn't talked much. So she did her best to put it out of her mind. Eventually she'd forget about Nicole. Right?

Monday came around and she drove into the city. She'd found a brand new vegetarian restaurant near campus they were both excited to try. Once she found parking and headed inside, she discovered that Chrissy was already at a table waiting for her.

"Hey!" the tall blonde exclaimed, getting up from her seat.

A warm smile lit up her face as she moved to give her friend a big hug before they both sat down. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Waves. How've you been?" she passed a menu to the petite brunette.

"I'm good. Started my online classes in ancient languages and history; they're going well. What about you? And what are you getting?" Waverly opened the slim, paper menu and perused the items. She was beyond glad to have somewhere she could more easily find things to eat when going out.

"I'm doing well. Really enjoying the fashion designing course I'm taking right now. I might actually pursue it," Chrissy replied with a proud smile. "And I'm gonna get the Green Goddess salad. I can't resist pesto."

Looking up from the menu, the brunette's brows rose in appreciation. "That's awesome, Chris. Good for you!"

Just then their server appeared with a second glass of water. "Hey, I'm Bethany, I'll be your server today. Do you guys know what you'd like?"

Chrissy looked to her friend who deferred to glance at the menu once last time. "Yeah, I'll have the Green Goddess salad. And can I get an iced tea with sugar please?"

Bethany scribbled down the order on her pad, "Sure thing. And for you?" she looked to Waverly.

"I'm gonna try the Epic Veggie tacos. And I'll have an iced tea as well." She held their menus aloft for Bethany with a kind smile.

"You got it," she smiled back while popping the gum tucked between her back teeth. She grabbed the menus and turned off to put their order in with the kitchen.

The two friends returned their attention to one another and continued chatting casually until their food came. Half way through their meal, Waverly asked between bites, "Hey, how's your Dad? He still thinking about retiring as Sheriff?"

Nodding with a mouthful, Chrissy swallowed and dabbed her lips with a napkin before answering. "Dad's good. And yes, as a matter of fact, he's actually really excited. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to swing retirement just yet but he's been keeping tabs on the academy. Found someone that seems promising."

"Oh yeah?" the brunette grabbed her glass to take a sip. She'd figured he'd promote someone already working for him rather than a newbie. Then again, nice as he was, Lonnie wasn't really sheriff material no matter how long he'd been on the force.

"Yep. A tall, redheaded woman by the name of Haught. Can you believe that's really a last name?" she chuckled. A moment later, she was covered in the tea previously contained in Waverly's mouth.

For a split second, both women sat in stunned silence at what just happened. Snapping back to herself, Wave grabbed a napkin and thrust it at Chrissy. "Oh my god, I am so sorry, Chris. I can't believe I just did that..." her ears burned with her blush.

Suddenly the tall blonde started laughing, wiping away the spit tea. "Me either. You alright there, Waves?"

Was she? _Of all the mother-fudging... _Rather than go down that road, she shook her head. "Fine. I'm fine. Just uh, didn't expect that name to be brought up is all."

Chrissy arched a perfectly manicured brow at her friend. "'That name?' You gotta give me more than that. You just spit a mouthful of tea on me over 'that name'!"

Burying her face in her hands, Waverly tried to collect her thoughts and feelings. There was no getting out of telling the other woman now. Sighing, she pushed her plate toward the center of the table; she wasn't so hungry anymore. "Do you know Rosita Bustillos over at Spurs Up?" Might as well start at the beginning...

"Isn't she the resident mixologist there?" The brunette nodded. "Then yeah, she makes a mean Cosmo. What's this got to do with Haught?"

Wave raised her hand to stop further questioning. Once the other woman settled back in her seat, she took a long pause. _Here goes nothin'_. "After I broke it off with Champ, I...came to terms with my attraction to other women..." she announced softly, after exhaling a deep breath. Coming out seemed to get easier with each go around, but it was still scary. A flare of anxiety twisted itself in her gut.

Chrissy just gave her a blank stare. "And...?"

For a long moment, Waverly stared back, uncomprehending. Was that all the acknowledgment she'd get? After the amount of turmoil she'd been through over it?

A smile tugged the corner of Chris' lips, "Hey, Waves. I'm proud of you. That was my way of letting you know it's a non-issue." Reaching out a hand, she placed it over her friend's to drive her point home. "I support you, one hundred percent."

The touch seemed to rouse Waverly from her stupor. Smiling back, she put her other hand over top of Chrissy's and gave it a grateful squeeze. "Thank you," she breathed out. Taking in another deep breath, she went on. "Well, Rosita and I went out. At the end of the night we kissed and it was super awkward. The next time I saw her she said she thought we'd be better as friends."

"Ouch. Sorry, Wave. That sucks," she sympathized.

"Wynonna decided she needed to 'cheer me up' after that and took me out to the gay club. Something about 'getting under someone to get over someone else'," the brunette rolled her eyes.

"She's not wrong, ya know," Chrissy smirked behind a sip of her tea.

Shaking her head with a smile, Waverly went on, "I wasn't interested at first. But then I caught sight of this gorgeous redhead. One thing led to another..." Color rose to her cheeks, particularly when her friend made her high-five that. "Anyway," she cleared her throat. "We shared an amazing night together. We both wanted to see each other again. Then I bumped into her at a coffee shop and she got really weird. Next night I went back to the club to see her and caught her making out with another woman."

"Uh oh..." the blonde cringed.

"That's not even the worst of it! Her 'friend' was a total jerk to me about it. Nicole tried calling and texting but I ignored her. Then, Wynonna gets it in her head she needs to avenge me and ends up getting half a bar full of lesbians arrested!" Both hands were balled into fists on the table as she recounted the story, still obviously stirred up by it. 

Chrissy's eyes go wide for a brief moment before a laugh bubbles up. "I'm sorry! Sorry!" she chuckles, hands raised in surrender at her friend's glare of admonition.

Granted, it _was_ kind of funny... "Nicole didn't even fight back. And she declined to press charges. Which, lucky for Wynonna, but...why would she do that? I can't stop thinking about her, Chris. It's driving me nuts and I don't know what to do."

The blonde canted her head to one side as she watched her friend deflate in front of her. One finger lightly tapped the table as she thought about the best way to advise the youngest Earp sister. "Clearly, this one got under your skin. You certainly deserve to be treated better than that; I'm not excusing her behavior," she clarified.

"But it sounds like she feels pretty bad about it. And you're never gonna know her motivation unless you ask. For what it's worth, I think you should talk to her. Give yourself some closure if nothing else. **Especially** if she's gonna end up working in Purgatory. Kinda hard to avoid people in a town so small we don't even warrant a Starbucks."

Chrissy certainly had a point...Lifting her gaze from where it bore into the table, Waverly huffed out a puff of air, tousling the chestnut strands of hair falling on either side of her face. "You're right! You're right. Part of me hates that you're right but thank you. I guess I just needed a kick in the behind."

An alert buzzed one of their phones lying face down on the table. The blonde picked hers up to check. "That's you. Speaking of behind, I better get going. Can't be late again for my lit course or the professor is gonna kick my ass," she slipped the phone into her purse.

"Yeah, go ahead, get outta here. I got this," Waverly gestured to the table.

"You sure?" she asked while scooting out of the booth seat.

"Yes. Just promise me we won't go so long without seeing each other next time?" Wave scooted out of her own side of the booth to give Chrissy a goodbye hug.

"You got it. And good luck!" she gave her friend's shoulder a final squeeze before she took off with what seemed like a knowing smile.

She watched the blonde leave the restaurant before she sat back down and grabbed her phone. It was a new text from Wynonna.

** _Wynonna [12:58p.m.]: You ready for Coyote Ugly tonight?! Are you gonna blush through the whole movie now or just openly drool?!_ **

A groan escaped her as she flagged Bethany down for the check.

***

Waverly felt ready to take on the task of confronting Nicole, but the real question was: how would she do it? She didn't want to bother Chrissy any more with the issue and she certainly wasn't going to let Wynonna know until afterwards. _Long afterwards. Years perhaps?_

She'd never ended up deleting the redhead's contact from her phone, so that was an option. But texting or calling at this point didn't feel right. Showing up at the club was utterly out of the question. _Heavens knows that didn't work out in my favor the first time._

Another option was the academy, but the brunette wouldn't dare try confronting Nicole there. For all she knew, Wynonna was right about her not being out at school. That left the coffee shop. Was that something she'd even do? Show up and confront the other woman? Waverly Earp was not that type of person. At least, she hadn't been. _Could I...?_

Heaving a deep sigh, she submerged herself further under the warm, bubbly water of the bathtub where she had retreated to think.

She wasn't her Daddy- she wouldn't try to drink the problem away. She wasn't her Momma- she wouldn't run away. And she wasn't like either of her sisters, one to go in guns blazing.

The brunette wondered what Curtis would do. How he'd advise her. _He'd tell me to go for it... _She certainly didn't want to bring Gus into this whole thing. So that left it up to her to make the decision. She stared at one of the flickering candles she'd lit. The flame danced, chasing away the shadows of the darkened bathroom. Then something just...clicked.

By God, hadn't she made the decision to leave Champ **and** the decision to come out? Wasn't Waverly finally doing what _Waverly_ wanted now? So why not go to the coffee shop and ask Nicole what she wanted to know? And if it gave her some closure on this whole thing, it would be worth it.

Steeled by this newfound resolve, a smile twitched her lips. The only downside was that her schedule wouldn't permit the interaction until the following week. Monday would be her only chance to catch the redhead after academy while she was on closing shifts at Shorty's. Not to mention the chance the redhead wouldn't even stop in to the cafe.

When they'd run into one another previously, it had been during what she presumed was lunch break.

So this meant she had an additional week to obsess over the whole thing. What would she ask? Would Nicole even agree to speak to her? Doubt creeped back in as the day's events finally began to wear on her.

Sitting up, she pulled the plug in the tub to let the water drain. She didn't know what to say yet, but she was glad she'd decided on how and when. That was enough for now. She had plenty of time to think about it. Now was time for bed.

***

Monday rolled around as it always did. By this point, Waverly had the exact speech she wanted to give Nicole all set in her head. She even felt pretty good about it. She'd ask why she hadn't pressed charges against Wynonna and proverbially bury the hatchet between them. If there was any chance the redhead would be working in Purgatory, it was necessary. She could be cordial if that happened.

Thanks to a little research, she found out academy classes got out at five o'clock. So she'd made her way into the city a little before then. In a stroke of luck, Wynonna hadn't been home so she hadn't needed to make up a lie for going at least.

She parked her Jeep a block away and glanced at her watch. It was a few minutes to five yet, giving her enough time to get a tea and sit down to wait. The petite brunette knew there was a good chance she wouldn't even see the other woman but it was a one she was willing to take.

Coming up on The Grind, she pulled the door open and was met with a little chime from the bell attached to it. Only a couple people looked up from their places among the tables. She hadn't counted on one of them being Nicole Haught. **_Shit_**.

Frozen like a deer in headlights, their eyes were locked in shock at seeing one another. Should she turn around and run? What felt like an eternity passed but in reality was only a matter of seconds, Waverly steeled herself and strode to the table the redhead was sitting at. A coffee cup was sitting next to an open text book.

"May I?" the petite brunette gestured to the empty seat across from her. Nicole looked like she'd seen a ghost, but closed her open mouth without uttering a word and nodded her assent.

Waverly sat and pulled her chair in. She'd not expected this but she wasn't going to back down, either. "I need to know something."

One of the redhead's brows arched at the statement, not followed by a question. "Okay...What do you want to know?"

"Why didn't you press charges against my sister for assaulting you?" A cavalcade of follow up questions entered her mind then: when did she find out Wynonna was her sister? Did she know when she was attacked? Later at the precinct? Her previously rehearsed speech had vanished the minute she laid eyes on Nicole. Damn her.

With a curt nod, Nicole closed the text book and pushed it aside so she could fold her forearms on the table. "I didn't think there was any need to."

Silence fell between them as Waverly carefully regarded the cadet with scrutiny. The only evidence left of the scuffle was the faint outline of the bruise to her right eye that had previously been swollen shut.

"Look, your sister came into the club looking to avenge you. While I don't condone violence, I don't begrudge her the anger over what I did. I know it hurt you and I know that not being my intention doesn't make up for it. I am sorry. And for what it's worth, Danielle and I are no longer friends."

A long minute passed as Waverly digested the information. There was no trace she could find of insincerity. "I...I know that wasn't your intention. And it probably shouldn't have stung as much as it did. We spent the night together, we didn't make any promises..."  
  
"Stop, please," Nicole cut in. "You don't have to justify your emotions, to me, or anyone. Physical intimacy is easy for me, emotional intimacy is not..." Taking a deep breath, she looked away from Waverly. "I'm not good at relationships. My last one, well..." she trailed off.

The brunette canted her head slightly. Rather than push what was obviously still a painful subject, she remembered the other question she wanted to ask. "When I ran into you here, before, why did you practically bolt?"

Still looking away, Nicole's lips turned into a wistful smile. "I saw this look in your eyes. This hopeful look and it sent me running. It scared me." Brown eyes finally settled on the hazel ones in front of her.

"I scare you?" Surprised, it came out breathier than the brunette meant it to.

"Yes...because suddenly I was feeling something I didn't want to be feeling. A connection with you that...wasn't just physical. I massively jumped into my last relationship. Like climbing a rock face without a safety rope. It was a mistake."

The latter half was spoken quickly, as if the redhead was trying to put distance between what she'd just admitted. Waverly supposed she was. This was the last thing she expected to hear by way of explanation.

"I'm not trying to excuse my behavior. I just want you to know I'm sorry. I realized that's not the person I want to be..." Brown eyes shifted back to the table as her nervous hands fiddled with the sleeve on her coffee cup.

As the youngest Earp took everything in, silence settled between the two of them. It was bordering on awkward when Waverly set her shoulders and gave a nod. "Well, thank you for your honesty. I guess I'll...uh, let you get back to studying." Pushing her chair back, she started to get up. _Not your smoothest exit Earp_.

Nicole's eyes followed her, a slight frown on her lips. "Wait...uh, Waverly?"

Standing, she adjusted the bag on her shoulder with a furrow on her brows but paused just the same.

"Would you maybe want to see me again? Like, go on a real date?" she asked with a hopeful lilt to her voice.

Taken aback by the question, Waverly had to re-center herself to think about it. The redhead had been on her mind since they'd shared a bed, for better or worse. She settled on, "...I'll have to think about it."

"That's not a no," she grinned. There was that irresistible confidence again. _Damn her_.

Despite herself, Waverly gave an annoyed smile in return. "That's not a yes either."

"I can work with that," she replied, her previously cocky grin turned sincere.

Rather than further engage, the brunette gave a good-natured head shake and walked out of the coffee shop, feeling those brown eyes watch her as she went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! 
> 
> Or is it?! This story ended up including a lot of Earp sister feels and there were none in this chapter. So I'm torn. This turned into a much greater labor of love than I intended. I also don't want to disappoint any of my readers. That said, if you want to see more, let me know and I'll make it happen! Comment here or yell at me on Twitter @fanwolf1216
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left a comment or kudos thus far. It means more than you may know <3
> 
> Update 2/5/20: You asked and you shall receive chapter 5! :D

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to write/publish this for Pride, obviously that didn't happen but that explains the name. I'm terrible at them, I know. And probably tags too. 
> 
> Comments and kudos give me life. Helps keep me writing when I know folx are enjoying it. Hit me up on Twitter if you feel so inclined @fanwolf1216


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